I read in the paper that one of my favorite authors, Dorothea Benton Frank, was coming to Landrum to sign her newest book at Landrum Library. I’ve missed her events here the past two times so I was determined to get this on my calendar.

“Dottie,” as everyone called her, writes the perfect light and fun kind of book you want to curl up with, relaxing on a cushy chaise lounge under an umbrella while sipping a frosty lemonade or sweet tea on a hot, sultry summer afternoon.

When the day arrived, I decided to be there early. They promised a free book to the first 100 people in the door. But really, I just wanted to enjoy the full experience. I knew that book lovers would be arriving early. I was looking forward to chatting about other books, other authors, maybe a little literary gossip. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Before long a small group of us were engrossed in conversation. One woman’s T-shirt caught everyone’s attention as it referred to a weekend event in Charleston and Sullivan’s Island. The T-shirt wearer related that, for a reasonable fee, she had joined a group of about 200 fans to visit with the author, tour Charleston, enjoy cocktails at her home, and experience a well orchestrated Lowcountry getaway, plus get the free T-shirt! What fun!

We discovered that devoted readers have a lot in common. We all prefer real books, no e-books for us. It seems we all tend to go back to previous pages to locate a certain a passage. E-books don’t lend themselves to that. We like holding the book, we study the book cover, and when we’re done, we want to share the book with a friend. Books are never discarded. We all described overflowing bookcases; our homes are filled with bookshelves lining walls in studies, bedrooms and dens.

We compared authors, finding common ground with familiar names. Pat Conroy, of course, was top of the list. One woman declared she was re-reading all of his books in honor of his death. Mary Kay Andrews, Mary Alice Munro, Nicholas Sparks, Ann Ross and Jan Caron were on everyone’s reading lists. I discovered that many of the women follow favorite authors like some people follow rock stars. There are websites to let you know what authors will be appearing at local bookstores and where to attend book-signing events.

At noon the doors opened. It was announced that the first 40 women would receive a free pair of sunglasses, keeping in theme with the book’s title “All Summer Long.”  As the brightly colored glasses were distributed, we all decided to wear our sunglasses for Dottie when she appeared. It was a comical display. This was a group of women of an age that required most of us to wear glasses just to see clearly, and there we all were, sitting in chairs, under fluorescent lights, with sunglasses fitting over our everyday glasses. If anyone thinks a book signing is dull….well, they are missing out on a good time.

When Dorothea Benton Frank, New York Times best-selling author, was introduced and entered the room, it felt like your best friend had just walked in. “Dottie” really fits better than the long name that appears on her book covers.  She started chatting and you felt like you had known her for many years. Her talk began with a discussion about planning her daughter’s recent wedding. She and her daughter, Victoria, work together, and Victoria, was with her, tending to details and offering comments.

When asked about her childhood, Dottie told about growing up on Sullivan’s Island. Her father died when she was 4 ½ years old, she was the youngest of five, and was always reading books. She writes from life.

She related an incident that was the beginning of her book, “The Last Original Wife.” It involved a friend of hers and became the basis of the book. She regaled the group with a recent story of a request by an acquaintance to use Dottie’s Sullivan’s Island front porch for a funeral ceremony for the beloved pooch who had often “visited” her front lawn. Oh yeah, that will make it into a book.

She wrote her first book, “Sullivan’s Island” when she was angry at her husband. Their life has been in New Jersey and New York. Dottie wanted to purchase her mother’s home on Sullivan’s Island. Her husband wasn’t interested so she determined to earn her own money. “Sullivan’s Island” was born and proceeded to sell a million copies. Seventeen books later, Dorothea Benton Frank is a well-known, established writer. Her books have a basis in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.

As the meeting came to a close, books were distributed. Each row was called up to have books signed and personalized. Receiving a free book and a pair of sunglasses was wonderful but the treat that day was meeting the author. Dottie writes a new book each year. If you missed the event this year, you might have another chance to meet her in 2017.